Community for Deepening Practice

Befriend Yourself

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MSC Audio Meditations

Below is a collection of audio meditations and practices currently available for free online. Please note that the titles or words will change slightly as Chris and Kristin evolve the meditations, but each meditation still holds value and can be used to support a burgeoning formal practice.

If you don’t find a meditation here you were expecting to find, it is possible that its title has changed since you learned it. Below is some history of the titles:

  • Loving Kindness for a Loved One (formerly called Loving Kindness for Beginners)
  • Loving Kindness For Ourselves (formerly called Loving Kindness “with Self Compassion”)
  • Giving and Receiving Compassion (Formerly called Breathing In and Out Compassion)
  • Compassion with Equanimity (Formerly called Self-Compassion with Equanimity, prior to that formerly called, Giving and Receiving Compassion with Equanimity)
  • Soften Soothe and Allow for Difficult Emotions: Includes labeling emotions, mindfulness of emotion in the body and soften soothe and allow. They can be practiced separately or together.

Other MSC meditations may also be found by search the Center for Mindful Self-Compassion on InsightTimer (an app providing guided meditations for either iPhones or Androids). And finally, if you know of other MSC meditations available online that we have not covered here, we invite you to email us the URL, and we’ll get them added to the list. Enjoy!


Session 1. Discovering Mindful Self-Compassion

  • Self-Compassion Break: This informal practice provides a quick and efficient self-compassion practice that can be applied throughout the day, whenever suffering is encountered.

[icon name=”headphones” class=”” unprefixed_class=””] Kristin Neff

Session 2. Practicing Mindfulness

  • Affectionate Breathing: This is the first core meditation in Mindful Self-Compassion. It teaches focused attention to calm the mind and offers positive attitudes of soothing and appreciation.

[icon name=”headphones” class=”” unprefixed_class=””] Chris Germer
[icon name=”headphones” class=”” unprefixed_class=””] Kristin Neff
[icon name=”headphones” class=”” unprefixed_class=””] Kristy Arbon

Session 3. Practicing Loving-Kindness

  • Loving-Kindness for a Loved One (formerly “benefactor”): This meditation helps activate feelings of loving-kindness by focusing on a beloved being (person, animal, etc.) and then gently adding one’s self to the circle of kindness.

[icon name=”headphones” class=”” unprefixed_class=””] presented by Chris Germer (20 min)

Session 4. Discovering Your Compassionate Voice

  • Loving-Kindness for Ourselves: This is the second core meditation of the MSC program. In this meditation, we learn to use personalized phrases we found during Session 3 to cultivate a warmhearted attitude when we feel either good or bad.

[icon name=”headphones” class=”” unprefixed_class=””] presented by Chris Germer

Typically offered during the MSC retreat:

  • Compassionate Body Scan: This meditation helps us deepen awareness of our bodies and develop a kind and gentle attitude toward it, especially when we feel pain or shame.

[icon name=”headphones” class=”” unprefixed_class=””] presented by Kristin Neff

Session 5. Living Deeply

  • Giving and Receiving Compassion: This is the third and last core meditation in MSC. In this medtiation, we practice self-compassion while in connection (loving others without losing ourselves). This meditation builds upon Affectionate Breathing and loving kindness meditation by layering compassionate words or images onto the breath.

[icon name=”headphones” class=”” unprefixed_class=””] presented by Kristy Arbon

Session 6. Meeting Difficult Emotions

  • Labeling Emotions: presented by Chris Germer | Kristin Neff
  • Mindfulness of Emotion in the Body: presented by Chris Germer
  • Soften, Soothe, Allow: presented by Chris Germer | Kristin Neff | Kristy Arbon

Session 7. Exploring Challenging Relationships

  • Compassionate Friend: This visualizing meditation is adapted from Paul Gilbert and helps participants discover a wise and compassionate presence within themselves.

[icon name=”headphones” class=”” unprefixed_class=””] presented by Kristy Arbon

Session 8.  Embracing Your Life

  • Compassion for Self and Others (no public audio yet available that we’re aware of, but here is the PDF)

The CDP is offered in conjunction with

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